Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
I only hope it’s not for weeks, and by then it’ll be too late.
“This way then.” He moves inside and I follow, but instead of going into the sitting room from last time he takes me down a side passage to a door that leads down a flight of stairs. The basement is cool and humid, rimmed with concrete blocks. The ground is sandy and damp, and boxes are stacked on pallets all over the place. The door shuts and we’re plunged into a dull orange glow emanating from the far end of the house.
He leads me into a clearing in the storage space. The water and sand have been cleared away, revealing a concrete slab. A circle’s been drawn on the floor in chalk with spokes emanating from the center. A stool is placed in the middle surrounded by dimply burning candles placed in every available surface. It smells like melting wax, musty cardboard, spilled alcohol, and ocean water. I remain at the edge of the chalk circle staring at the black stool.
I know it’s meant for me.
Emilio walks the circumference, careful not to break the lines. “Normally, we don’t take walk-ins. Calico Club doesn’t allow just anyone to waltz into our house and demand membership in our society, but I decided to bend the rules for you. Do you know why, Kaye?”
I shake my head, heart racing. Does he know who I am? Or is it worse—does he want something from me I’m not prepared to give him?
“Tell me,” I manage to croak and hate my stupid raspy voice. For the millionth time since the accident that injured my larynx and made me sound like an eighty-year-old chain smoker, I’m embarrassed of the way I sound and wish I could change it. But the doctors said I’d never heal, not completely. I’ll always be marked. Always scarred.
“You interest me. You caught my attention. Nathan and Dom both vouched for you, but mostly I find it fascinating that you have the gall and the balls to do what you did last night. So I’m willing to give you a chance.” He gestures at the stool. “This is your last warning. If you go through with this, I won’t take it easy. I will do whatever I please, and you might not like it. Sit down, and we’ll keep going. Turn around and walk away, and all of this will disappear. Whatever you do, don’t break the lines.”
I hesitate, staring at the chalk on the ground, heart racing. What could he possibly do to me down here? But I know the answer could be absolutely anything. This guy’s gotten away with murder once already and there’s no reason to think he couldn’t do it again.
He’s giving me the chance to run away and I want to take it. This isn’t me—I’m not the kind of person to throw myself into danger. Lucy is the brave one, the strong one, the smart one. I’m only dull and simple Kaye, while my sister was the shining, beautiful star.
But Lucy’s dead and I’m here to get revenge since she can’t.
I step into the circle. I walk gingerly until I reach the stool then slowly sink down. I feel exposed, almost naked, and the chill of the damp basement air blows over the skin on my bare arms. He continues walking the circle, staring at me, and I have to turn my head to follow his progress.
“Normally, prospective members go through what I call the gauntlet. It’s a simple exercise. They take the boat out from the caves and sail it around the island then back into the natural dock. They have a single night to get it done. The problem is, the waters around here are extremely dangerous, and if you’re not careful, it’s very easy to get wrecked or sucked out to sea. I do that to show each and every member how difficult it is to consistently pull off what I do, but also to bind us in the shared victory of mastering the sea.”
“Are you going to make me do that too?” I ask and he shakes his head slowly.
“No, Kaye. I’m not. Not yet at least. If you make it through this, you’ll come out on the ocean with me sooner or later. But I have something more interesting in mind for you tonight.” He walks to a nearby candle and picks it up. Some wax tilts over the side and rolls down its length as he stands across from me, studying my body, his eyes roaming freely from my lips down to my chest and back up.
I’ve been told that I’m pretty. Lucy used to say she got the smarts and the talent but I got the looks, and it used to make me feel special. Like, if even Lucy thinks I’m beautiful, it must be true. My sister never lied to me, not once, even when the truth was painful, and there were a lot of painful truths growing up with her.